Tom Goldberg

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Tom Goldberg's picture
Niko Bellic threatening Tom Goldberg at gunpoint.

Tom Goldberg is a lawyer at Goldberg, Ligner and Shyster in Grand Theft Auto IV. He is only featured in the mission Final Interview where Niko Bellic is sent by Francis McReary to kill Goldberg and retrieve a document.

Goldberg is a highly successful lawyer, specializing in fields like antitrust and product liability. As detailed in his law firm's website, he came into prominence after suing a Betta Pharmaceuticals CEO over minor debts, and has since brought frivolous lawsuits against countless BAWSAQ 500 companies. He is a corespondent for Weazel News (even though PLO.com implies that he's a liberal) and the Daily Globe.

In his spare time, he runs the charity "Goldberg's Guys", in which Goldberg himself teaches disadvantaged boys to swim and hands out food to the homeless every quarter (though he makes sure he's followed by a television camera crew). Goldberg was planning to run for congress, according to GTA IV's website in real life and Francis McReary's dialogue with Niko Bellic.

Tom Goldberg is the second lawyer named "Goldberg" in the GTA series, after GTA III's Maurice Goldberg (lawyer to Salvatore Leone). These characters, however, appear in different continuities.

When Niko threatens Tom Goldberg, Goldberg says, "Guns don't kill people, video games do!", a line frequently, but falsely, attributed to real-life lawyer Jack Thompson, known for his antipathy towards violent video games, especially the Grand Theft Auto series.

Tom Goldberg vaguely resembles actor Robert De Niro; note in particular the mole under his right eye.

Surprisingly, even after Goldberg is killed, his firm's website still shows his name and photo and doesn't mention his death.

After his death, his partner Dick Shyster says to the Liberty Tree that he will take over most of his cases.